Planoorm lt



A. n. SKINNER.

STEAM ENGINE.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20.1917. '1 ,3 l 2, 1 43 Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

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m us o W 14 1" 1 I I i Tq l I Mk u e1 I" a m T 1 l v tn M T THE COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH c0, WASHING TTTTTTT c.

A. D. SKlNNER.

STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20. 1917.

Pafiented Aug. 5, 1919.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, 1). c.

A. -D. SKINNER.

STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20. I917- l,312,14;3. Patented Aug. 5,1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

ALLAN n. sxmnnn, or ERIE; PENNSYLVANIA.

STEAM-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

Application filed December 20, 1917. Serial N 0. 208,115. i

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALLAN D. SKINNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, inthe county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to steam engines of the type wherein the cylinder heads and piston are hollow, and through which engine actuating steam is circulated for the purpose of heating the walls thereof to prevent initial condensation.

The object of my invention is to provide mechanism in a compact form to cause engine steam toflow from one of the hollow cylinder heads or other source of supply thereof into the cavity of the hollow piston then back into said source of supply.

The featuresof my invention and the operation thereof are hereinafter fully described and pointed out, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which z Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a portion of an engine cylinder, cylinder head and piston embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal central section of the sameyloolcing downward.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the cylinder headon the line X-X in Figs. land2. w i

Fig. 4c is an enlarged detail of a fragment, in vertical central section, showing one of the check valves. I

In these drawings A indicates anengine cylinder having central, piston-controlled exhaust ports a and the usual annular exhaust steam duct a" inclosing said ports, and a segmental steam chest or chamber a (see Figs. 2 and 3) thereon, from which port openings a open into the hollow cylinder head B as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Within the hollow head B are valve seats b-b which are controlled by the valve B, said valve and its operating mechanism B being of usual construction. a

Within the cylinder A is a hollow piston C which is rovided with a piston-rod C which is secured in said piston in the usual manner, and is provided with a hollow tailrod extension G which extends rearwardly through a central opening in the cylinder head B'in the usual manner.

Within the central opening in the cylinder head B is provided suitable packing G which is held in place by a gland 0*. Within the hollow tail-rod extension G is placed a tube D which is secured in concentric, spaced relation to the inner walls of said tail-rod C as by means of screw threads (Z on the inner end thereof. From the inner end ofthe tube D a duct cl" leads into the cavity of the piston 0, preferably the forward portion thereof, and from said cavity there is an opening (Z into the space be tween the tube D and the inner wall of the tail-rod C said opening 03 being preferably provided with a short tube d whichextends downwardly for the purpose. of draining away any water which may accumulate in the piston; the tube 6Z3 being preferably located adjacent to the end wall of the piston C opposite to the exit end of duct 01 to insure complete circulation of steamwithin said piston.

Inclosing the tail-rod extension C and secured to the cylinder head B isa cylindrical housing E which isprovided with a chamber E intowhich the tail-rod O pr0 jects, and with a cylindrical projection or sleeve E which is adapted to enter the cen tral openingin the hollow cylinder head B and engage the gland G and press it against the packing G Within the tube D there is a tube F, which is provided with packing rings 7 or other suitable means adapted to form a substantially steam tight fit with the inner wall of the tube D, the rear or outer-end of said tube 13 being secured in the rear or outer end of the housing E as by means of threads f, said tube F communicating with a chamber a in the rear or outer end ofthe housing E.

I providea duct or passage 6 leading fromthe cavity in the cylinder head B to the chamber 6 in the rear end of the housing E saidpassage being provided with a valve seat 6? whereit enters said chamber 6; and through the wall opposite said valve seat 6 I provide an opening 6 sufiiciently large to permit the forming ofsaid valve seat and the insertion of a check valve G, which is provided with a stem G which extends into a screw-threaded thimble adapted to close the openingsei lug H Within the thimble plug H, the valve stem G is provided with an enlarged guide portion 9 (see Fig. 4) which has a longitudinal groove 9 to permit the passage of air or steam therethrough to insure the free movement of the guide portion 9 in the thimble H; and within said thimble H, and under the valve-stem guide 9 I place a spring J of suiiicient strength to counterbalance the valve G and normally maintain the same seated. I also providea duct or passage K which leads from the chamber E in the housing E, into the cavity in the cylinder head B which is provided with a check valve L' of similar construction to the valve and thimble G and H. While other forms of check valves may be used, I prefer the form herein shown and described, because of its convenience in construction and adjustment;

the latter feature being accomplished by the screw-threaded thimble plug H.

Secured toy and communicating with the segmental steam chests a at each end of the cylinder A is a branch pipe M to which the throttle-valve N is connected, by means of which the supply of engine actuating steam is admitted to the engine.

Inoperation engine actuating steam is admitted to the steam chests a and passes through the ports a into the cavity in the head B, and into the ducts or passagesc and K, and upon the raising of the valve I B through the ports 6' into the cylinder A which causes the piston C to move forwardly therein. Upon the forward movement of the piston C the tail-rod C and tube D therein move forwardly while the tube F remains stationary, thus lowering the pressure within the piston G, duct d, tubes D and F, and chamber e, which permits engine actuating steam in the .duct or passage e to press the check valve G open and fiowinto the chamber e and tubes F and D, V and thence through the duct d into the pistonv cavity. Then during the return movementof the piston C, the shortening of the telescoping tubes D and F compresses the steam within the piston cavity, tube d and space within the tail-rod C around the tube D therein, and chamber E in the'housing E until it presses the check-valve L open and flows through the duct or passage K back into mass of engine actuating steam in the cavity of the cylinder head B.

It will thus be seen that by means of the mechanism herein shown and described, I am enabled to alternately draw engine actuating steam from the supply thereof, into the cavity in said piston, and then compress said steam sufiiciently to force it back into the supply of engine actuating steam, whereby the walls of said piston are heated sufiiciently to prevent initial condensation on the ends of the piston, and also to transmit sufficient heat to the wall of said cylinder. ad-

jacent to the exhaust ports to dry any moisture which may form thereon, there to lessen condensation of engine actuating steam within said cylinder. The amount or quantity of steam thus circulated through the piston cavity is governed by the speed of the engine.

It will also be seen that by reversing the valves C and L the flow of steam through the ducts e and K will be reversed without effecting any substantial change in the results of the operation of my invention. I

Having thus shown and described suitable mechanism for embodying my invention, I do not desire to limit myself to the exact form shown and described, as it is evident that my invention may be utilized in several different ways without departing from the scope of my invention; therefore what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a steam engine, a cylinder, an inlet valve chamber in communication with said cylinder, a piston in said cylinder having a cavity therein, a hollow tail-rod secured to said piston and communicating with the cavity therein, a housing inclosing said tail-rod, a pair of telescoping tubes arranged in spaced relation within said tail-rod one tube being secured to and moving with said tailrod, and the other being stationary and secured to the outer end of saidhousing, a duct leading from said inlet valve chamber to the outer end of said stationary tube, a nonreturn valve therein, a duct leading from the interior of said housing to said inlet valve chamber and a non-return valve therein.

2. In a steamengine, a cylinder, an inlet valve chamber in communication therewith, a hollow piston within said cylinder, a hollow tail-rod secured to said piston and communicating with the interior of said hollow piston, a stationary housing inclosing said tail-rod, a pair of telescoping tubes within said hollow tail-rod, one tube being secured within and reciprocating with said tail-rod and communicating with the interior of said piston and the other'of said telescoping tubes being stationary and secured to the outer end of said housing, a duct leading from said inlet valve chamber to the outer end of said telescoping tubes, a non-return valve to control said duct, means to adjust said valve, a duct leading from the interior of said housing to said inlet valve chamber, a non-return valve to control said duct, and means to adjust the same.

'3. In a steam engine, a cylinder, a valve to admit steam into the end thereof, means to operate said valve, a head on said cylinder having a central opening therethrough, a piston in said cylinder having an interior cavity, a hollow tail-rod secured to said piston and extending through the central opening in said cylinder head and communicating with the piston cavity, a housing secured on said cylinder head inclosing and in spaced relation to said tail-rod, a tube secured within said tail-rod in concentric spaced relation to the inner wall thereof and in communication with the interior cavity of said piston adapted to reciprocate with said tail-rod, a stationary tube secured in the outer end of said housing and' telescoping with the last mentioned tube, a valve chamber in the outer end of said housing communicating with said last mentioned tube, a check valve therein, means to conduct engine actuating steam to said check valve, a valve chamber communicating with the interior chamber in said housing, a check valve therein, and means to admit engine actuating steam to the rear side of said last mentioned check valve.

4. In a steam engine, a cylinder, a hollow head therefor, means to convey engine actuatingsteam into said hollow head, a piston in said cylinder having a cavity therein, a hollow tail-rod secured thereon and communicating with said cavity, a housing secured on said hollow head and inclosing said tailrod, a pair of telescoping tubes within said tail-rod one tube being secured in and re ciprocating with said tail-rod and communicating with the cavity in said piston, and the other or stationary tube being secured in the inner end of said housing, a valve chamber within the outer end of said housing communicating with the outer end of said stationary tube, a duct leading from the interior of said hollow cylinder head to said valve chamber, a non-return valve in said valve chamber to control said duct, a duct leading from the interior of said housing to the interior of said hollow cylinder head, a non-return valve to control said duct, whereby a volume of engine actuating steam equal to the cubic volume of the stroke length of the tail-rod is circulated through the hollow piston at each reciprocation thereof.

5. In a steam engine, a cylinder, a head therefor, a hollow piston, a hollow tail-rod secured to said piston communicating with the interior of said piston, and extending rearwardly through said head, telescopic tubes within said tail-rod and communicating with the interior of said piston, a housing inclosing said tail-rod, a source of engine actuating steam supply for said engine, a duct leading from said source to said telescopic tubes, a non-return valve in said duct, a duct leading from said housing to said source of motive steam supply, and a non-return valve therein, whereby a portion of the supply of engine actuating steam will be circulated through said hollow piston.

6. The combination with a steam engine cylinder having a steam supply passage thereto, and a hollow piston in the cylinder, of a steam chamber on the cylinder head, a valved connection between said passage and chamber, a hollow tail rod projecting from the piston and connecting the interior of said piston and the chamber, to ad mit steam to the former, and means to return steam from the piston to said passage, including a check valve opening toward said passage.-

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALLAN D. SKINNER.

topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

